Xeno Hybris
The Xeno Hybris is a Radical faction that has existed within the Calixis Sector for almost as long as it has been a part of the Imperium. It is speculated that the faction grew out of a gathering of Radical Ordo Xenos Inquisitors and agents drawn to the sector in search of clues to lost alien civilizations. Whatever the case, today the faction works diligently to uncover alien technology and better understand the alien mind. Inquisitors of this faction believe that there is much to learn from the aliens of the galaxy and only by cooperation with the other races can the true enemy of all sentient life be defeated. Needless to say, these beliefs often bring them into conflict with Monodominants and their followers, who view any dealing with xenos as an abomination. 'Overview' Xenos Hybris is a radical conspiracy of Inquisitors within the Calixian Conclave that believes that mankind must learn from the achievements and mistakes of alien races, and that only by cooperation and mutual understanding can both man and alien survive the galaxy’s myriad threats. Xenos Hybris is confined to the Calixis Sector and the Inquisitors who operate within it, but it is representative of a profusion of minor factions and concerns that are focused on the lure of greater wisdom and potential offered by the alien. It is also a typical of a lesser Radicalism born of the revelatory belief of a few; Xenos Hybris exists as a consequence of the danger of mankind’s ignorance and intolerance of the alien that those within the faction believe that only they can see clearly. The number of Inquisitors who cling to the Xenos Hybris beliefs are few, but they pursue their goal of human-alien advancement with blind focus that may well create a catastrophe before it achieves the faction’s ends. Agents of the Hybris delve into the long-dead secrets of aliens who once walked among the stars of the Calixis Sector, court xenophile hereteks to produce hybridized xeno-human technology, and kill any who stand in their way. Though most Hybris Inquisitors have a scholarly nature, they are still ruthless fanatics who are single-minded in the rightness of their cause. Most Hybris Inquisitors, of course, exist within the Ordo Xenos, but they do also have adherents from both the Ordo Malleus and Ordo Hereticus. For the most part, these Inquisitors of other Ordos are concerned with what alien lore can be brought to bear with denying the daemons of the warp and with understanding how to bring unity to the fractured Imperium of Man. Xeno Hybris Domains Xeno Hybris Inqiusitors spend much of their time along the rim and amid the Halo Stars, seeking contact with undiscovered aliens or investigating the ruins of their civilizations. They are known to take up with Rogue Traders and even Explorator teams plunging deeper and deeper into the void in their search of the unknown. Occasionally, however, they can be encountered within the core worlds, picking over ruins long buried beneath human cities and hives. Such work is a much rarer arena of operations for them, as it can bring them into close contact with their enemies and is seldom worth the risk for the poor opportunities such places offer. There are also rumors that some members of the faction even dwell amid alien civilizations as guests and unofficial ambassadors on xenos home worlds, alien vessels, and even eldar craftworlds. Xeno Hybris Operations Much of the faction’s operations center on the investigation of alien civilizations so that members might better understand and emulate them. This understanding is important to the faction as adherents believe that mankind’s understanding of the universe is incomplete and dangerously flawed when it comes to combating its true foes. For most faction members, this kind of scholarly endeavor represents their total involvement in the faction, with members gathering together from time to time to share and compile information and present new theories. The second major undertaking of the faction is the recovery of xenos tech. While some artefacts are recovered as part of the faction’s involvement in archaeological missions, most must be stolen, purchased, or traded for. The more adventurous faction members often take considerable risks in the pursuit of such things, especially when trying to bring xenos items back into Imperial space. They also maintain ties with “benign” alien races that have nominal contact with the Imperium and only limited hostilities to date. This contact is often performed under the cover of Rogue Trader activity. Xeno Hybris Inquisitors Among the alien scholars of the Xeno Hybris is Inquisitor Staven Arcturos, an ancient and enigmatic individual of considerable intellect. Arcturos was a diligent and focused member of the Ordo Xenos for many years, initially drawn to the Calixis Sector in his study of the eldar and their influence within the Segmentum Obscurus. However, his first true step toward understanding began, when he was rescued by eldar corsairs after his ship had been crippled in a skirmish with an unidentified xenos vessel. For reasons Arcturos has never revealed, he was invited to spend time aboard a craftworld. Exactly what transpired there and which craftworld it was is known only to Arcturos. What is known is that when Arcturos returned, he was a changed man and has since become one of the faction’s most valued and active members. Arcturos is also reputed to count a number of xenos, including an eldar, among his acolytes, though this may be pure fabrication. Xeno Hybris Secrets For many years, Xeno Hybris has been exploring the uses of xenos tech with a view to understanding its potential for application within the Imperium. With the help of wayward elements of the Adeptus Mechanicus, it has begun a program to create pieces of hybrid xenos-human tech. The first such device that it is rumored to have created is known as the Immaterios Novis. Fashioned into the shape of a gigantic brass eye whose pupil continually swirls and pulses with reddish light, it is said to possess the power to allow a ship to navigate the warp over short distances without the aid of a Navigator. If this claim is even remotely true, then there will be a great many parties interested in either securing it or destroying all traces of it.